This publication provides an introductory overview of the American electoral process for people who are not familiar with U.S. election practices and traditions. For "U.S. Elections 2004," we have asked seven experts, mostly political scientists, to explain significant aspects of the upcoming elections to international audiences who may have different ways of electing their government.

John F. Bibby begins the discussion by reviewing the role of political parties in the American system. Parties are not written into the U.S. Constitution (1789), but they have evolved since their origins in the early 1800s into a bedrock feature of U.S. democracy. Some have suggested that much of the stability of American government rests on the fact that two parties have been dominant for more than a century.

Next, Stephen J. Wayne explicates the long presidential campaign, in particular the nomination process. Again, several vital features of the American system — party nominating conventions and primary elections — are not provided for in the Constitution, but have resulted from an historical evolution rooted in the early years of the American republic. Michael W. Traugott then describes in detail how electoral institutions ensure fairness, discussing the procedures for registering voters, counting votes, and structuring a ballot.

Our interview with prominent political analyst Thomas Mann, of the Brookings Institution, deals most explicitly with the upcoming election. Speaking several months before the first presidential nominating caucus (in January 2004), Mann concentrates on what to watch for as the upcoming election unfolds. John H. Aldrich reminds us that more than a presidential election occurs in 2004. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the 100 Senate seats will be in play as well. Governors, mayors, and state legislatures will be elected across America. Adding interest to the election is the fact that in the American system it is possible for one party to win the White House while another gains control of one or both houses of Congress. Unlike in parliamentary systems, the executive and legislature are selected independently of each other in the United States.

Finally, we consider two aspects of the process that have become crucial in modern elections: public-opinion polling and campaign-finance laws. Pollster John Zogby makes the case that opinion polls can be useful to candidates in defining issues that are important to voters, but they can be misused or misinterpreted when attempting to predict outcomes. Joseph E. Cantor then provides a concise explanation of the complex laws regulating contributions and expenditures in U.S. elections — $607 million was spent on the presidential election alone in 2000. Regulation of political campaigns involves a perceived conflict between two core values for Americans: freedom of speech, as guaranteed in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and ensuring a fair and open playing field for all candidates.

As several of our authors suggest, the hallmark of the American election system over several centuries has been its fundamental stability, a stability that also responds to the need for modernization and change. We hope that as the events of the 2004 elections play out in coming months, readers worldwide will find this booklet useful as a guide to both the historical context and the unique features of the current campaign.